My Hero Academia: The Rise of Hierophant Emerald
by SeerKing
Summary: It has been well over two centuries since Kakyōin Noriaki died during the fight against DIO, and his spirit has wandered the afterlife ever since. Then he suddenly falls into the dream of one Midoriya Izuku. What will this meeting portend for the two of them? Stand!Izuku! Possible Harem. Will be updated when I feel like it, so don't complain about long times between updates!
1. Prologue

"Kacchan!" - Speech

'_Deku!_' - Thoughts

**"I AM HERE!"** \- All Might Speech

"_**Detroit Smash!**_" - Special Technique Usage

**Prologue**

_The Beyond_

Kakyōin Noriaki drifted through the ether, lost in his thoughts. He had been the third and last member of the so-called Stardust Crusaders to die against DIO, as even although Joseph Joestar had died, Jōtarō had been able to revive him. He was glad that Joestar-san had been able to decipher the dying message he had left with his Hierophant Green, and that the monster known as DIO had finally been killed, but...

'_...I wish I hadn't had to die as well._' the young man thought sadly. He wondered for the nth time how his parents had reacted to his death. Not well, in all likelihood, which distressed him. He had dearly loved his parents, who had cared deeply for him in return, despite his social isolation from his peers, which was due in part to his Stand and due in part to his inherently superior intellect.

As he had floated through the void, he had come across many people, including Joseph Joestar, Muhammad Avdol, Jean-Pierre Polnareff and Kūjō Jōtarō, who had either already been here or had arrived when their time came, although he hadn't come across his parents for some reason. Recently though, there were a lot of people coming through talking about 'Quirks', new powers that were very different from the Stands that had been one of the only super powers that Kakyōin had seen in his lifetime.

Still more had come through speaking about the 'Quirkless', the ones who didn't possess Quirks. They tended to live lives of suffering and tragedy, simply because they lacked a bizarre power or physical mutation. While Kakyōin himself had tended to not socialise with people who he didn't see as being his equal, he had also not disdained them for not matching him.

'_The world may have changed, but sadly some of the darker aspects of humanity remain the same._' he sighed sadly. '_Humans will always find a reason to discriminate against each other and those that cannot defend themselves are always the first to suffer._'

Suddenly, he found himself in a swirling area that he quickly recognised. It was a dreamscape, a rare instance when the mind of a living human interacted with the beyond while they were asleep. Kakyōin had been sucked into a half a dozen of these during his time in the beyond.

Normally, he went out of his way to avoid the person dreaming due to the risks of encountering a living soul while being a part of the eternal, but in this instance, he could hear the sound of a child crying. The sound brought back many sad memories of the tears of frustration he had shed when he was too young to understand why no one else see his Stand, Hierophant Green. The sound tugged at his heart and, for once, he let his heart overcome his pride and logic, and allowed himself to be drawn toward the source.

Sitting in the very centre of the room was a boy, about eight years old. He had fluffy green hair and was curled into a ball as his small body shook with sobs.

"Young man." Kakyōin said softly as he landed nearby. The boy jerked his head up, revealing red-rimmed eyes the colour of emerald.

"Wh-who are you?" the boy asked, his voice slightly hoarse from the crying he'd just been doing.

"Is it not customary to give one's name before asking another theirs?" the redheaded man asked calmly.

"O-oh...m-my name's...Midoriya Izuku." the boy introduced himself with a flinch.

"A pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-kun." Kakyōin said with a nod. "I am Kakyōin Noriaki. Why were you crying just now?"

"I...I'm Quirkless." Midoriya confessed, looking depressed. "I've been Quirkless for four years, and I'm alone, apart from my mother."

"No father? No friends?" the Stand user asked with a frown.

"Dad's in America, working." the greenette shook his head. "And...Kacchan doesn't like me, so no one else likes me."

"Kacchan?" Kakyōin asked with a raised eyebrow.

And then it came pouring out, how Kacchan (Bakugō Katsuki) had once been his friend, but had turned into his primary bully. How he had the nickname of 'Deku', which meant useless. How his classmates and even the teachers followed Bakugō's lead because of the powerful Quirk he possessed and how likely it was he would become a Professional Hero because of it.

Throughout the entire tale, Kakyōin only barely kept his distaste for the Bakugō boy at bay as it seemed that, for whatever reason, the boy in front of him still considered his bully a friend. Quite why puzzled the man, but Midoriya was just a child. Children often clung to the familiar when faced with great change.

"I see...you have endured much." the Stand User said at last. "What are you going to do about it, though? Are you simply going to allow them to do as they please without fighting back?"

"I don't...I wanna be a hero, and heroes don't stir up trouble." Midoriya said stubbornly.

"There is a marked difference between stirring up trouble and avoiding being turned into a punching bag, Midoriya-kun." Kakyōin said dryly. "A 'hero' would stand up for themselves, because if he can't stand up for himself, then how could he stand up for others?"

As Midoriya worked through that, the man frowned. While convincing the boy to not be a doormat was all very well and good, it wouldn't solve what the world nowadays saw as his main problem, his Quirklessness. With a pulse of his will, Hierophant Green appeared at his shoulder, making Midoriya jump in fright.

"Whhaaa?! I-Is that your Quirk?" the boy asked after yelping in shock.

"I was born in the era before Quirks came into existence, over two hundred years ago." Kakyōin replied. "Back then, I possessed the ability to materialise my life force as an image that stood by me...I was known as a Stand User, with Hierophant Green here as my Stand. I died in 1989, if memory serves."

"S-So you're a g-ghost?!" Midoriya looked freaked out.

"Hmm, no." Kakyōin looked thoughtful. "A ghost implies that my spirit was somehow bound to the living world via unresolved issues or grudges. I passed on as soon as I died. My spirit intersected with your dream for some reason, Midoriya-kun. Technically I would refer to this as a form of séance."

"O-Oh..." the green-haired boy faltered.

With a mental command from Kakyōin, the puppet-like Stand swooped over and touched the boy on the head with one finger. He had done this once before in one of these intersections. His Stand was his life force made manifest and controlled by his will. How he could summon in in the beyond was a puzzle, but by having Hierophant Green touch someone on the head, he could see the true character of the person in question.

The last time, the man had been a piece of scum, pure and simple. That had put Kakyōin off from trying to do this again. But he had decided to look at this boys character to see if his inner self matched his exterior persona. A slew of emotions and feeling washed over him as Hierophant Green connected with Midoriya Izuku.

_**Pain.**_

_**Suffering.**_

_**Torment.**_

_**Despair.**_

_**Hopelessness.**_

_**Hope.**_

_**Determination.**_

_**Intelligence.**_

_**Insight.**_

_**Longing.**_

_**Adoration.**_

_**Love.**_

_**Protectiveness.**_

_**Self-Sacrifice.**_

Blinking and shaking his head, Kakyōin looked down in awe at the boy below, who had recoiled from the finger of his Stand in surprise.

'_Despite everything he has been through since he was declared Quirkless, he still carries a core of unbreakable determination to become a hero._' the Stand User thought in amazement. '_Despite having every reason to give into his despair, he continues to walk forward. In spite of those who mock his dream as a fantasy, he still holds it close to his heart. In spite of how most would become twisted and bitter after all he has been through, he still cares for others, even above himself. This boy..._'

"K-Kakyōin-san?" the questioning voice of Midoriya broke him out of his stupefied state.

"Ah, my apologies, Midoriya-kun." Kakyōin said with a nod. "I just read your character using my Hierophant Green here. You are quite the amazing person."

That made the boy squeak in surprise and hide his face in embarrassment. Unsurprising, as he was not used to being praised for anything by anyone other than his mother these days.

Making Hierophant Green back away, Kakyōin blinked as the Stand also cupped its hands, a green glow appearing there until it became an emerald, such as the ones that his Stand used in its signature attack, Emerald Splash.

'_Why...oh. Could it be...?_' the Stand User mused. Turning his attention to Midoriya, he smiled. "Would you like that emerald, Midoriya-kun? As a present to commemorate our meeting?"

"I-Is that OK?" the boy asked in amazement.

"Of course. I wouldn't have offered had it been otherwise." Kakyōin reassured the boy, making Hierophant Green lean down to offer the emerald to the young boy.

Gulping, Midoriya Izuku reached out and carefully took the fist-sized jewel...which then vanished into the boy's hands, making his body glow and a pair of familiar dual circles appear on each of Izuku's palms.

"EH?!" the boy exclaimed.

"As I thought..." Kakyōin mused. "Midoriya-kun, it seems that Hierophant Green has either bestowed its abilities upon you or it has given you the ability to summon a Stand with great similarity to itself. Can you try and force your spirit to call forth something?"

"E-Even if you say that...!" Midoriya stammered before he screwed up his face in concentration. After a moment, a figure slightly taller that Midoriya himself appeared behind him. It was indeed greatly similar to Hierophant Green in appearance; vaguely robotic, with grey-white armour, but that was where the similarities stopped. For a start, the figure's unarmoured portions were a deeper emerald green compared with the original, making the white lines criss-crossing its skin like veins stand out more vibrantly. The armour was also slightly more elaborate, with extra ornamentation running up and down it. In the centre of the chest-piece, a single emerald rotated. The final difference was that the eyes of the brand new Stand were not the yellow of Hierophant Green; they were a bright sky blue.

"Th-this is...?!" Midoriya gasped.

"This is your Stand, Midoriya-kun; your own power." Kakyōin said absently as he examined the boy's Stand clinically. "I wonder how much similarity yours has with mine...Hierophant Green, Emerald Splash!"

Placing its palms together, Hierophant Green then pulled them apart, revealing a tunnel of bright emerald water arcing between them. With a glow about its limbs, the Stand fired a barrage of emeralds from the water across the dreamscape, away from Midoriya.

"Whoa!" the boy gaped.

"Can you try and make your Stand do that?" the older Stand User asked the boy.

"I-I'll try..." Midoriya looked at the Stand hovering next to him and concentrated for a moment. The smaller Stand repeated the actions of its original, but was only able to fire three emeralds. It was interesting to note that the emeralds were also a darker colour, while the water was the same shade of green as Hierophant Green's attack.

"Hmm...it looks as if you're a bit young to use Emerald Splash just yet." Kakyōin mused. "Well before anything else, I think you should name your Stand, Midoriya-kun."

"N-Name it?" Midoriya looked tired.

"Certainly. Mine is one I names as a child, after the Hierophant card of the Tarot. Most Stand in my time were named after one of those cards." the man explained. "Star Platinum, Hermit Purple, Silver Chariot, The Fool and Magician's Red were the Stands used by my allies back when I was alive."

"What are the names of the other Tarot cards?" the boy asked.

"The World, the Tower, Strength, Wheel of Fortune, The Moon, The Devil, Temperance, The Hanged Man, Emperor, Empress, Sun, Justice, Lovers, Sun, Death, Judgement and High Priestess make up the rest of the major arcana." Kakyōin recited. "The minor arcana are Cups, Swords, Wands and Coins."

"Can...you choose?" the boy asked timidly.

"Me?" the redhead raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtful. "Certainly...ah, I know. I'll give it the name I originally gave to my own Stand. From here on out, your Stand is known as Hierophant Emerald!"

Just then, the dreamscape started to darken, and both Hierophant Green and the newly named Hierophant Emerald vanished back to their user's bodies.

"What's happening?!" Midoriya looked around in a panic.

"You're waking up." Kakyōin informed the boy. "As you do, your mind is being drawn from here, so the dreamscape is collapsing."

"Will I see you again?" the boy asked hopefully.

"I've never seen someone in a dreamscape twice." Kakyōin confessed. "Then again. I've never given someone a Stand before here either, so it's possible. In case we don't, I'll give you some advice. Experiment with your Stand and those markings on your hands. It could be you can use Emerald Splash without summoning your Stand. Hierophant Green was fairly weak in close combat, but while Hierophant Emerald was copied from my Stand, it isn't the same Stand, so don't discount anything until you have seen it with your own eyes. Finally, never give up or let someone tell you that you are less than you are. My Stand and I think you are worthy, so Stand Proud, Midoriya-kun."

"Yes!" Midoriya nodded before he vanished along with the rest of the dreamscape.

"Things are going to be interesting if I can find him again..." Kakyōin mused.

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**Next Chapter: Stand Proud, Izuku!**

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Stand Name:** Hierophant Emerald (Child)

**Stand User:** Midoriya Izuku

**Stand Type:** Undetermined

**Stand Appearance:** Organic Humanoid

**All Stats Unknown at This Time**

**Special Abilities:** Emerald Splash


	2. Stand Proud, Izuku!

"Kacchan!" - Speech

'_Deku!_' - Thoughts

**"I AM HERE!"** \- All Might Speech

"_**Detroit Smash!**_" - Special Technique Usage

**Beta'd by BigCC**

**Chapter 1: Stand Proud, Izuku!**

_The Following Day_

_Quirk Specialist's Office, Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture_

Midoriya Inko had been having a _very_ emotional day today. Ever since she'd gotten up this morning and found that her baby boy had apparently developed strange patterns on his hands, she'd been bouncing constantly between panicking, worried sick, and confused out of her mind. Finding that the marks weren't hurting her baby had calmed her panic enough to call the doctor and make their way to the local clinic. There a new emotion was added to the confusing mess that was Inko's emotional state: elation that her baby had _somehow_ managed to develop a Quirk four years late at the age of eight. The doctor, a normal paediatrician, had quickly made a few calls and directed them to a Quirk Specialist's office, where little Izuku had been undergoing a series of tests and examinations since shortly after they arrived.

"Well Midoriya-san, I've run Izuku through our entire pallet of emergency exams and to start with, he's perfectly healthy." stated the doctor as he dabbed at his brow with a handkerchief. Doctor Minamoto Maaka, unlike Doctor Tsubasa who'd given Izuku his initial Quirkless classification, hadn't stopped at a simple x-ray of Izuku's toe joint. "Your initial Quirk Doctor appears to have been a bit of a lazy quack. Frankly, if I didn't know that Dr. Tsubasa's clinic had closed last year with his retirement, I'd have reported him to the doctorate board for negligence. While the 'Toe Joint Test' is a fairly _common_ indicator of Quirklessness, it is only accurate about 95% of the time. Doctors doing a child's first Quirk Diagnosis are supposed to do several tests in addition to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate, particularly given how Quirklessness is treated in modern society."

"But...Izuku hasn't shown any signs of a Quirk in the last four years..." Inko said haltingly, thankful that her son was away having some further tests done by a kindly nurse.

"Ah, and _that's_ where things get interesting." Doctor Minamoto nodded. "Again, the reason that we have such extensive Quirk screening processes on a child's first Quirk Diagnosis is because several situations can leave a Quirk dormant until biological, environmental, or even psychological conditions are met. Oh, there _are_ certainly Quirkless individuals out there, but this is due to a mutation in the Quirk gene, a throwback to the pre-Quirk era showing itself, or any one of several other reasons, but they are even rarer than most people believe. At least half of the currently Quirkless population actually suffer from what's been labelled 'Latent Quirk Syndrome' and simply have not met the requirements to awaken their Quirk."

The doctor stopped to dab his forehead again. "Some people with this disorder have Quirks that are simply too strong for their bodies and thus their own natural defences instinctively suppress their Quirk's awakening in order to prevent the body from harming itself. Others need a certain form of stimulus to awaken their Quirk, like exposure to a specific material or a life-or-death situation. Ever rarer types, and the category I believe your son falls into, simply require more physical or mental development to activate. All the indicators seem to point to your son requiring inspiration, stress, willpower, and time in order to activate his Quirk."

"Inspiration, stress, willpower and time?" Inko blinked.

Doctor Maaka nodded again. "The common misconception is that Quirks will manifest within a year of a person turning four. While true in roughly 75% of the population, there _are_ other circumstances. The biggest and most commonly known aberrant in that is when a Quirk manifests form birth. The Luminescent Baby, the first recorded Quirk holder, is the best-known example of this, but a more recent example would be the Professional Hero Present Mic. Even after two hundred years of research we _still_ don't know _why_ Quirks manifest at these points, or why it is rarer for some Quirks to require certain triggers to activate."

Reaching for a PDA, he brought up a sheet of data on it before handing it to Inko. "This is an analysis of your son's Quirk Factor, which I received less than an hour ago. I requested your paediatrician deliver the blood sample he took from your son immediately to a local laboratory even as he directed you here. Given how…_chaotic_ certain 'Latent Quirk' activations can be, the sample was given priority and run through a sequencer to get a full readout of his Quirk Factor. Now the readout is a bit on the complicated side, so I won't bore you with all details on what each point means, but the total results point toward a Quirk that requires both a strong imagination and what can be best described as immense willpower to activate and utilize. Given those factors, I'm honestly surprised a child so young could activate it."

"Izuku…he's always dreamed about being a hero." Inko offered, her expression falling. "He loves watching them and he's filled out several notebooks doing a self-made analysis on other people's Quirks. He tries to figure out how they work and then tries to build up new ideas on how to use. I doubt most of the real users have put half the thought Izuku does into their Quirks. He…He's always been so dedicated and stubborn about being a hero, even being told he was Quirkless didn't shake that desire for more than a few weeks. I…I know it's caused him a few problems at school, but he refuses to talk to me about it and it hasn't slowed him down in the slightest."

"Hmm, bullying _would_ explain the elevated stress levels we've been seeing in his tests; he's at over double the amount normally seen in a child his age." Minamoto frown, grumbling slightly under his breath. "I take it the main cause is his presumptive Quirklessness? Tch, how typical. I know _I_ had a few troubles when I was his age thanks to my own Quirk, kids at that age can be cruel."

Noting the puzzled look Inko was giving him, the doctor elaborated, "My Quirk is an Emitter type called **[Level Down]** that allows me to release a wavelength of energy from my body that interferes with the Quirk Factors of others within a certain radius of me. When I activate it, most weaker Quirks around me are completely disempowered, while stronger ones are severely weakened. As you can imagine with how important having a 'strong' or 'cool' Quirk is among children, having one that made everyone else feel weak didn't make me a popular kid."

Inko winced. Yes, she could well imagine that. Erasure, negation or suppression Quirks were never popular among those with powerful and simple Quirks, at least when they were kids.

"To return to the subject of your son and his Quirk, the most visible effect is an Emitter ability that allows him to generate a torrent of some form of green, semi-viscous liquid between his hands, using those strange markings as a source and end for the stream." Doctor Minamoto said, turning the PDA around and scrolling through it. "With a bit of concentration, it seems he is able to solidify portions of the liquid and fire it as a form of crystalline projectile at such a speed that it can embed itself into concrete. A bit of training and experimentation, and I suspect that he'll be able to control the speed and power of the projectile to the point it can be used non-lethally. The gem in question closely resembles some form of emerald, but degrades back into a liquid state before dissolving completely shortly after it impacts. Which is a good thing, the jewel market is unstable enough, and the ability to produce precious stones at will would put a very large target on your son's head."

"That...that sounds like a good Quirk!" Inko offered, smiling softly. Her emotions were still bubbling unstably, but the fact that her baby now had an ability that would let him chase his dream was slowly untangling years of built-up stress and guilt.

"That isn't even all of it." The doctor offered her a smile. "He also seems to be able to manifest some sort of floating, humanoid avatar that he manipulates mentally. The avatar is capable of interacting with the world, your son had it lift and carry a pen around the testing office, but is primarily insubstantial and can even manifest the same Emitter ability as your son. Though the projection's is noticeably stronger, firing three to four projectiles rather than Izuku's single shot. What's more, the projection is completely invisible unless your son concentrates on it."

"Oh my." Inko murmured in surprise.

"Indeed, at first I thought he had some form of telekinesis or levitation ability, probably a mutation of your own Quirk, but your son was able to manifest it long enough for us to get a photo of it." the doctor paused, bringing up said photo to show Inko before he started chuckling. "I'll admit, watching your son's Emitter ability originate from seemingly nowhere was also a bit shocking. I believe that manifesting it was the key contributor to both the imagination and willpower requirements of your son's Quirk. Imagination to give it form, and willpower to manifest what is essentially a psychokinetic construct out of nothing."

The doctor paused again, dabbing at his forehead. "The only issue we've found so far is that Izuku-kun can't seem to manifest both abilities at the same time. He can _either_ form his projection _or_ utilize his projectile attack from his own hands, not both at the same time."

"Oh dear...that does sound like it could be troublesome..." the Midoriya Matriarch said with a worried frown.

"Well, that's only for now." Minamoto offered her a smile. "Don't forget, many Quirks grow and mature both as the holder ages and as they train with their abilities, and that is just as true for Latent Quirks as normal ones. If your son continues to develop his mental strength, it is entirely possible he'll be able to manifest both abilities at the same time. He's already shown remarkable focus and mental fortitude and strength for a child his age, if he continues to develop as he has, I have no doubt his ability will grow with him."

"Yes...yes, I suppose that is true." Inko nodded firmly, her eyes blazing with determination on behalf of her son. "Izuku will have my complete support in this, sensei."

Minamoto's smile grew slightly. It was always so good to see parents who wholeheartedly supported their children. In his clinic he had to deal with all types of parents. Some wanted their children's Quirks to follow some preconceived ideal or perfected image; others, such as a particularly arrogant, glory-seeking Flame Hero who had used his services, only saw their children as a means to an end. His PDA pinged again and he opened the new file.

"Oh? It seems like your son has decided to name his Quirk..." he mused. "Hmm, interesting choice. **[Emerald Hierophant]**. Apparently he took the name from his projectiles and the colouring of his projection along with the 'prayer' stance he has to assume in order to activate his Quirk. Descriptive without giving away anything of importance, your boy is quite the clever one."

"Yes...yes he is." Inko said, pride for her son in her voice.

_Later_

_Izuku's Room, Midoriya Home, Musutafu_

Running into his room, one Midoriya Izuku was thrilled. He'd thought, when he'd woken up this morning, that he'd merely had a weird (but good) dream about meeting a cool-looking guy called Kakyōin Noriaki and getting a Quirk from him...except that it had been _real_, somehow! He really had met someone who had been dead for two and a half centuries who had somehow given him his Quirk!

'_Or a 'Stand' as he called it._' the boy thought in awe. He'd never heard of any kind of super powers in the era before Quirks, other than in TV, Movies, Cartoons, and Anime, and he was determined to do some research about the year that Kakyōin-san had mentioned, 1989, to see if he could find out anything more about him and how he died.

He doubted he'd find any mention of these 'Stands,' superpowers emerging before the Luminescent Baby would have certainly been big news. Then again, Stands were mostly invisible (that was a surprise when he realized that the nice nurse and doctor couldn't see Emerald. It had taken a surprising amount of concentration and effort to make Emerald Hierophant visible for even a brief moment) and he remembered his history teacher mentioning that it had taken years of Quirks manifesting before the world accepted that they were real and not some hoax.

If it took _that_ long for people to accept people gaining actual, _visible_ superpowers, then maybe it wasn't that unbelievable that no one would accept or acknowledge _in_visible ones.

Still, that was going to be relegated to a side project for now. The new Stand User's top priority was going to be experimenting with his new power and discovering everything it was capable of. After all, everyone else he knew had had their Quirks for years now; if Izuku wanted to be a hero he was going to have to work hard to catch up.

'_I'm _really_ not looking forward to Kacchan finding out about this._' he thought with a sad grimace. While a tiny part of him was hopeful Kacchan would start liking him again now that he had a 'Quirk;' his talk with Kakyōin-san had forced the boy to honestly evaluate his former best friend.

Given his past actions, it was far more likely that Kacchan would blow his top at the 'useless Deku' suddenly gaining a Quirk out of the blue. At worst he'd accuse him of lying about not having a Quirk all this time rather than admit that he'd been wrong.

Deciding to turn his mind to more pleasant thoughts, Izuku decided to make his own private Hero Analysis book for his Stand/Quirk. Peeking to the side, he saw Hierophant Emerald floating there ready to move at his command. It was odd to think that his Stand was invisible to everyone unless he focused and concentrated on making it visible to the world at large.

Not only that, Hierophant Emerald was selectively intangible in its invisible state, allowing it to pick up something on a table while phasing its arm through a table or something. It was pretty cool to think about, really.

The sheer variety of uses having an invisible, intangible-at-will humanoid avatar at his mental command was already causing his analytical side to salivate at the possibilities. And those were only the base abilities every Stand possessed, according to Kakyōin-san each one had its own abilities and Izuku had a feeling he'd only scratched the surface of Emerald Hierophant's.

'_I...I can really become a hero..._' Izuku thought as a broad, cheek-aching smile spread across his face. He had never allowed the words of others to drag him down or get him thinking negatively, at least most of the time. After _four years_ of constant harassment and abuse though, even his determination had been starting to flag in the face of near-constant adversity.

Now though..._now_ it had been completely restored in the space of a day. He was going to become a hero, and nobody, not his classmates, not his teachers, not even Kacchan, were going to stop him. He may not have the **[Explosion]** Quirk user's natural talent for close-range combat, but something told Izuku that **[Hierophant Emerald]**, much like its 'parent' **[Hierophant Green]**, wasn't meant for close-quarters combat.

It was a tiny bit disappointing that he wouldn't be able to fight like his idol All Might, but after finally gaining his own ability, Izuku was determined to use its to its fullest. That meant he had to be his own kind of hero.

Reaching up and wiping tears out of his eyes, Izuku grabbed the expensive-looking notebook that his mother had bought him as a congratulation gift on their way home from the clinic. With a rich brown leather cover and a thick pad full of ruled paper, it even had a slot for a small placard to be placed into it to identify the contents.

Removing the blank one already in it, Izuku sat down at his desk and carefully wrote the new title of the book on it in as smooth and precise kanji as he could produce before slotting it back in place.

**Stand Notes for Future Heroics, Volume 1**

'_I'll still make notes about other people's Quirks in my Hero Analysis for the Future notebooks, it's fun and interesting, but this one, this one is for me and me alone._' he thought with a smile. '_Now I don't have to imagine what it would be like to have a Quirk...I actually have one of my own. I won't waste the chance that Kakyōin-san gave me! I will become a hero!_'

With that determined thought, Izuku opened his notebook and started to write down what he knew of his Quirk and his Stand based on what he had accomplished with it so far, as well as what he had seen Kakyōin-san do in his dream. Hierophant Green's usage of _**Emerald Splash**_ made Izuku shiver in mixed fear and anticipation. There had to have been at least _three dozen_ gemstones in the short little barrage that he'd seen and it was obvious the man hadn't even been trying hard, while Izuku could barely manage one, with Hierophant Emerald firing a meagre four at most.

"I have a long way to go..." the boy said aloud.

"But you'll have my help with it, Izuku." Inko said as she came in.

"Mummy?" Izuku looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh, my boy." Inko walked over and drew her baby boy into a hug. "You've persevered for so long while bearing things alone. I am so sorry for that, Izuku."

"I-I was fine though!" Izuku protested. "I-I didn't w-want you to worry, so it's fine!"

"No, Izuku, it isn't." his mother said firmly as she pulled back and cupped her son's face with one hand. "Quirk or not, you are a good boy, with a strong will and a good heart. Just because you were thought to be Quirkless until now was no reason to bully you, none _whatsoever_. That you thought you had to protect me from the truth was my failing as a mother. On Monday, I'll be coming in to school to explain your new Quirk and ensure that your teachers get the message that their time ignoring you and everything that happens to you is officially over. Any more bullying and I _will_ sue them for every Yen that they possess."

Tears started to form in Izuku's eyes as he realised just how much him keeping secrets from her had hurt his mother...and yet she took it as her own fault. He had known that his mother loved him a lot, but this was the first time he had seen exactly how far she was willing to go in order to support him. It was..._humbling_ to realise.

Allowing his tears to fall, Izuku started to cry, swiftly joined by his mother's own crying as well. The two allowed all of the stress, frustration and heartache of the last four years to pour out with their tears. By the time they calmed down, cleaned up, had their dinner and went to bed, they both felt as if an immense burden had been lifted from them that they had been unaware of carrying.

That night, their dreams were untroubled and free of worry.

_Monday_

_Ossasu Elementary School, Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture_

Bakugō Katsuki liked to think he had a damned good handle on life for an eight-year-old. He was in the middle of Third Grade, was easily the most popular kid in class, feared/respected (they meant the same to him) by all the other students and even the teachers, and was getting pretty damn good at using his **[Explosion]** Quirk.

All in all, he thought he was well on his way to completing his destiny of becoming the Number One Hero.

So he was more than a little shocked when a teacher took him aside before classes started and warned him not to put Deku in his place as he had been doing before. What the _hell_?!

"He has a Quirk now, Bakugō-kun." The teacher, a boring old man with a receding hairline and coke-bottle glasses so thick you couldn't see his eyes, said weakly. "There's a boatload of proof from a well-known Quirk Specialist and his Quirk Registry has been updated. It is apparently a fairly powerful one as well."

'_A _Quirk_?! _Deku_?! Deku has a _goddamned **Quirk**_?!_' Bakugō screamed in his mind. It was as if a vital part of the world was suddenly turned on its head! Deku was weak, Quirkless and fit to only gaze in awe at what he could never have! For him to have a Quirk was _impossible_!

'_No one develops a Quirk after they are four, aside from some very special cases._' he mentally recited the most commonly known fact about Quirks. '_Deku ain't special, which means either this is total _bullshit_, or he's had a Quirk since he was four and never _told_ anyone! He's been fucking LAUGHING at me for four years! That little bastard!_'

Due to the potent mix of ego, superiority complex, and inferiority complex that had shaped Bakugō Katsuki's world-view ever since his Quirk had manifested, this was the only conclusion he could allow himself to draw. Anything else would force him to admit that he'd been wrong about his childhood friend, something neither his ego or superiority complex would allow. Meanwhile his inferiority complex constantly fed off the idea that Deku thought he was better than him, that he was smarter or would be a better hero than him. Forcing Deku down into his place assuaged that crippling feeling of self-doubt and allowed him to maintain his confidence and world-view.

He literally _could not_ allow himself to view Deku to be anything other than weak, otherwise his own strength would become meaningless in his own eyes.

Given those facts, Katsuki's reaction to the school's first ever serious attempt to warn him about his bullying activities was somewhat predicable.

"**DEKKKKKUUUUU!**" he roared as he stormed into the classroom, eyes glaring daggers and mouth practically frothing at the bit. Never before in his life had Katsuki felt such pure _rage_ as he did at this moment. _No one_ made a fool of him! No one _dared_ to mock Bakugō Katsuki! He'd blow the shitty bastard into _next week_ for this!

"K-Kacchan." Deku gulped from where he was stood next to his desk. That was per usual, but what _wasn't_ per usual was his stance; rather than cringing into himself and flinching away like usual, Deku was actually standing tall! And he was even trying to meet Katsuki's eyes, trying to act like he was an _equal_.

Obviously, _that_ pissed the blonde bomber off something fierce.

"What's this crap about you having a Quirk?!" Katsuki snarled, hands flexing and popping off minor explosions in a threatening manner. It usually made Deku shrink and cower away from him, but the bastard barely flinched! Where the _hell_ had he gotten a backbone from?!

In reply to Bakugō's demand-slash-question, Deku raised his hands to display his palms. On each were two circular bumps that had emerald green rings around them. Katsuki wasn't an expert, but he was damn sure that those _hadn't_ been there on Friday! Then, they had been smooth and not marked by any kind of bumps or colours beyond the human norm.

'_Fuck...so he really _did_ get a Quirk, is that what you mean to tell me?!_' the blond boy growled to himself. Even his…_disjointed_ world-view couldn't deny an obvious physical development like that, nor could he believe that Deku had managed to hide them for four years. '_That after four years, he actually developed a goddamn _Quirk_?! That he's somehow _special_?! No...fuck that...Quirk or no Quirk, he's just a Deku who doesn't know his place!_'

"Tch...so what? Ya got some little bumps on your hands? That doesn't mean you got _shit_, Deku." Bakugō sneered. He spotted the teacher entering and clicked his tongue in irritation. He didn't want anything serious on his record, so he'd have to leave Deku alone...in school, anyway. "Tch. Meet after school in the usual place, Deku. You _know_ what'll happen if you don't."

Having said his piece, Katsuki turned and swaggered off without staying to hear Deku's response. There was no point, after all. Deku may have a Quirk now, but he was still the same spineless loser as before...

"Kacchan." Deku's voice stopped him. It wasn't weak or quivery as had been just a moment ago; it was firm and determined. Katsuki looked back over his shoulder to see Deku looking him right in the eye again. "I'll meet you there...but don't think that it'll go the same as it has been for the last four years."

Murmurs swept around the gradually filling classroom at Midoriya Izuku actually _standing up_ to Bakugō Katsuki for once. Most of the class had been together since Kindergarten, so they all knew what the class hierarchy was supposed to be: Bakugō at the top and Midoriya at the bottom, with the rest of them stuck in the middle. No one had ever challenged this hierarchy (at least not more than once), and no one had ever expected Midoriya to ever grow the balls to do so himself.

A sudden urge to Explode The Deku swept over Bakugō, but he tamped down on it firmly. Bakugō was no fool, he knew that the teachers wouldn't ignore his behaviour now, not after he got a serious warning, and he was smart enough to know that a record of starting fights or 'bullying' (he couldn't understand what was wrong with showing extras their place, but he was smart enough to recognize how others viewed it) would only damage his goal of becoming the Number One.

Deku would get what was coming to him once school was over and the bastard was away from the irritating eyes of the teachers.

He was oh-so going to _enjoy_ it!

_After School_

_Musutafu Public Park_

Izuku gulped as he headed to the isolated part of the park where Kacchan 'practised' with his Quirk, which basically meant blowing up anything he could get his hand on in the most destructive way possible and occasionally using it on Izuku. It was an infrequent occurrence, especially since the blond boy's current control over his Quirk limited him to two settings: firecracker pops and a full-fledged explosion. As reckless and angry as the **[Explosion]** Quirk user usually was, he didn't want to _actually_ hurt Izuku, at least not enough to leave more than the occasional burn or so.

'_I...I have to do this...I have to stand up to Kacchan._' the green-haired boy thought determinedly. '_Kakyōin-san was right; if I can't stand up to a bully, how can I think of myself as a hero ever? All Might wouldn't let someone talk to him like Kacchan does to me!_'

Unbeknownst to Izuku, a certain short and elderly semi-retired Pro Hero sneezed violently and looked around suspiciously before resolving to see if a certain pupil of his had been badmouthing him behind his back again.

He had been trying to draw on the strength and confidence the Stand-User had projected in his dreams all day and it had been working to. His classmates hadn't bothered him as much after Kacchan had left, most were seemingly keeping their distance, trying to see if these new changes were permanent or if the old status quo would quickly re-establish itself.

Kakyōin had done more than simply grant Izuku a Stand in their brief encounter, he had inspired the boy in a way that only All Might had done before. Now Izuku had two idols warring for dominance in his ideology, the calm and collected Stand-User and the boisterous Symbol of Peace. The meshing of those two idolized figures would shape Izuku in many ways in the coming years, and would result in a very…unique young man emerging.

"So, you _actually_ showed up, Deku!" Kacchan growled from where he was leaning against a tree. The glare drilled into Izuku and he barely managed to stop himself from flinching, once again calling on Kakyōin-san's cool image to gird himself. Four years of habit weren't going to fall away all at once, but the words of Kakyōin Noriaki and his new Quirk had strengthened his spine. He was, for the first time ever, ready to face his old friend's wrath.

The previous day had let him experiment some more with his Quirk and Stand, allowing him to gain some very important bits of information about both, some of which he'd use to good effect here if Kacchan pushed him to it.

"K-Kacchan." he said with only a very slight stutter, which was quite the accomplishment for him. "Since when have I e-ever _not_ shown up if you've asked me to meet you s-somewhere?"

"Tch." the **[Explosion]** Quirk user sneered slightly as he moved towards Izuku, hand flexing. "Forget that. You think you getting a Quirk means that you're _my_ equal? That you _aren't_ a Deku any more? Know your place, _extra_. You're just a _pebble_ for me to kick out of the way on my way to the top!"

With that, Katsuki raised his right arm and flung it forwards, going for his usual attack pattern that started with a right hook. Izuku quickly clapped his hands together and drew them apart, the shining green water appearing between them. Katsuki noticed the water, but was too committed to his swing to do anything about it.

'_As I form the emeralds that are fired with __**Emerald Splash**__, with just a bit of concentration I can manipulate both their properties and velocity as they solidify and launch!_' He chanted within his mind, recalling the first major breakthrough he'd had while working with his Quirk yesterday. From shape, cut, size and sheen to smoothness, hardness and length, he could control the properties of the emeralds with perfect precision...so long as they were fired from his own hands rather than Hierophant Emerald's. _Those_ were stuck at a fixed size, shape, cut and hardness.

"_**Emerald Splash: Beanbag Round!**_" Izuku shouted, the name he'd come up for his first-ever Super Move coming to the forefront of his mind. It was the softest emerald he could create at the slowest velocity he had found would work as an actual offensive attack without harming someone more than bruising them.

A large emerald about twice the size of a baseball shot out of the liquid and slammed into Katsuki's body, throwing him back before he could set off his nitroglycerine-laden palm in Izuku's face.

"_Gah!_" Bakugō choked out as he felt like he'd just been punched in the gut by an adult. He landed on the ground, rolled and lay sprawled out on the ground, sucking in air for a moment before he staggered to his feet, eyes glaring death at Izuku.

"_Deeeeee__**kkuuuuuu!**_"

The enraged roar and full-power explosions erupting from his former best friend's hands was enough to tell Izuku that he might have just screwed up.

"Crap!" Izuku gulped, realizing now that his old friend was unlikely to react logically to getting hit. Deciding that escape was a better option than fighting with a power he still didn't have full control over against an enraged berserker who'd had access to their for nearly half-a-decade, he immediately utilized the second thing that he had found out yesterday...that Hierophant Emerald was several times stronger than he was and could use that as increased jumping power to leap a fair distance. Combined, that meant he could escape from dangerous situations by having his Stand jump him out of there!

Katsuki's jaw dropping at the sight of Izuku flying through the air without using his legs was a sight that Izuku would look back on and laugh about in later years, especially as it was the first of many times.

"Deku! Get back here!" Katsuki howled in fury and started to chase his prey.

"How about no?" Izuku deadpanned before gulping at the increased fury of his old friend. Oh dear...

Fortunately for Izuku, he was able to escape to his home before Bakugō was able to catch him, making the blond boy swear loudly and relatively creatively for an eight-and-a-half year old. He had indeed learned well from his mother's explosive vocabulary, if nothing else.

Over the next few days, Izuku had to get increasingly more inventive in leaving his school in order to avoid Bakugō challenging him to another fight. He may have stood up to him when called out, but he _really_ didn't want to have to fight every day, thank you very much.

Eventually, Inko got fed up of Izuku being chased all over the place after school and called Bakugō Mitsuki, Katsuki's mother, to make her reel in her son and get him under a semblance of control, which the other woman was more than glad to do; she had always hated how her 'idiot son' had an ego 'the size of Mount fucking Fuji' and now had more than sufficient reason to crack down on him.

Needless to say, Katsuki was _not_ pleased by the fact his mother came to pick him up from school every day after that, complaining loudly that it was embarrassing. Mitsuki told him to build a bridge and get over it, as she'd be doing it until he graduated to Middle School.

Things were..._tense_...between Izuku and Katsuki in class because of this, to say the least, but due to Izuku now possessing a fairly powerful Quirk, the teachers were no longer so willing to pull a blind eye to Bakugō's antics. Sensing this, the explosive boy reluctantly settled from using harsh language towards Izuku in classes, and the occasional bit of attempted physical tormenting in gym classes.

'Attempted' because Izuku was quickly gaining the ability to stand on his own and his attempts to mimic his newest idol were slowly starting to bare fruit.

His classmates were simply confused at the upending of the social order and unable or unwilling with Izuku's change of status, so he was mostly left alone.

All-in-all, Izuku could safely say that it was an overall improvement to his situation. With Bakugō de-fanged for the most part, he could focus on his studies and learning about his Quirk and Stand without having to constantly look over his shoulder for a blondzerker coming to blow him up.

Life was good.

_End of the Month_

_Room, Unknown Location_

The room was dimly lit and shrouded with shadows, to the point that it was hard to distinguish the engulfing darkness from the shrouded forms of the three people who sat around a small table in the centre, each wearing Noh masks.

One wore the black, snarling visage of the Hannya, a jealous female demon. Another bore the red, laughing, ape-like face of the drunken sprit Shōjō. Lastly, the third wore a white mask depicted a golden-horned and snarling Oni.

"A new Stand User has recently awoken." a woman's muffled voice came from the Hannya masked figure.

"You are certain?" a man's voice echoed curiously from the Shōjō mask.

"I have never been wrong before." Hannya replied icily.

"I believe that Hannya has the benefit of the doubt, Shōjo." the Oni mask offered calmly. "She has, as stated, never been wrong before. Though you must admit it is surprising; new Stand Users have been rare since the defeat of Enrico Pucci by Jolyne and Jōtarō Kūjō over two centuries ago. We just recruited that pair of new Stand Users two weeks ago, and its rare for more than two to awaken worldwide these days. A third awakening this month is unusual enough, but for _all three_ to awaken in the same area is practically unheard of."

"Whoever they were awoke just over two weeks ago." Hannya said gruffly. "Roughly a day after the Niō Twins awoke. The location is, unfortunately, in mainland Japan."

"That is..._most_ unfortunate." Oni sighed, though there was a subtle hint of a growl in his voice as he continued. "All for One has made it _very_ clear that any 'villain' Stand Users are to stay out of his little fiefdom after we recovered the Niō twins, and even Oyakata-sama is wary of declaring war on _that_ particular devil just yet. The sheer number of abilities that…creature can throw out is enough to promote some wariness, and the fact that he could likely bring hundreds of Quirk-users against our…more limited numbers is enough reason to exercise caution. Even so, members of our _Danshaku_ division are starting to grow impatient to be allowed to enter Japan in proper and claim it for themselves."

Shōjō snorted. "I can see why...All for One's power to steal Quirks is a useless threat against a true Stand User, and no extrasensory Quirk, no matter how powerful, has ever let _anyone_ see a Stand. Any one of our higher-tier members could kill the fossilized bastard easily enough if we're cautious enough and can set the stage to our advantage." he turned his head to Hannya. "What about your Stand, have you been able to see anything regarding the ancient leech?"

Hannya shook her head. "My Stand points to a great confrontation brewing in Japan, and a particularly bright light is growing to face the ancient darkness, but the details are still unclear, particularly since neither possesses a Stand." Hannya replied tiredly. "And the situation is not yet at a point I would bother Oyakata-sama with it."

Oni let out a sigh of his own. "To be fair, Oyakata-sama has been trying to track down any of the Golden Arrows that the Speedwagon Foundation has yet to destroy. It is truly a shame that they destroyed all traces and memories of DIO's Diary; otherwise we would be able to continue Enrico and DIO's plan to attain Heaven."

"The Golden Arrows I can understand wanting, as they would allow us to vastly swell our numbers with just a bit of trial and error, but I see the Diary as no great loss." Hannya disagreed. "We would essentially be killing ourselves by attaining Heaven. It is best to look to the future rather than reach for what is beyond our grasp anyway."

"True..." Oni admitted, before seeming to dismiss the subject. "In any case, we are to ignore mainland Japan for the foreseeable future. As we are in Okinawa currently, we will likely relocate to either China or Korea inside of the next month or so. Until All for One is either killed or weakened enough that we can remove him without risk, remaining even as close as Okinawa to his centre of power would be most unwise. Shōjō, you are to leave in the next week to oversee the purchase of new facilities. Hannya and I will oversee the mothballing of our facility here and join you upon completion of that, along with the dozen Stand Users we have with us."

"Very well." Shōjō nodded. "I do wonder what manner of person awoke their Stand? It is a shame that they, and any other Stand User in Japan, will be left out in the cold until we are able to return."

"It would be better if we could figure out who they were and keep an eye on them; the Joestar Family in America and the Speedwagon Foundation in Europe are irritating enough. If a Stand User awakens here and acts against us, like Jōtarō, Jōsuke and Jolyne did, it would be almost an echo of what happened with DIO-sama and Enrico Pucci." Hannya growled out in annoyance.

"Sadly, you know the way things are; only a Stand User can see a Stand, unless it's one that possesses material objects or substances." Oni shrugged. "All for One has made sure he knows all members of the _Danshaku_ Division, so we cannot leave a mole behind to investigate. We merely have to hope that whoever it is who awoke to their Stand is not of the heroic inclination. In that, we are in luck that most people who do awaken a Stand have their own goals and personality quirks that make them either villainous or disinclined to bother with the hero/villain situation unless it encroaches on them first. Unlike the past organisations who were formed of Stand Users, we _do not_ press-gang lone Stand Users into joining us and we _do not_ allow our members to run rampant and potentially stir Stand users to act against us for personal reasons. Oyakata-sama made sure to learn from the lessons of DIO-sama and Enrico Pucci's failures."

"Just so." the only female present nodded. "Still, the feeling that my **[Baku Tower]** leaves me when I look into this newest Stand User is…unsettling. I will have to consult with Oyakata-sama to see if he can throw more light on the situation."

"Sadly, that will not be possible." Oni shook his head. "Oyakata-sama has gone into seclusion in Nepal as of last night, leaving instructions to not be disturbed until further notice. That leaves the Council of Nobility in charge. The heads of _Kishi_, _Danshaku_, _Kōshaku_, _Hakushaku_ and _Ōke_ are to make decisions on matters of the organisation in Oyakata-sama's absence."

"...why _now_, of all times...!" Hannya growled.

"Oyakata-sama usually has his reasons." Shōjō shrugged. "I find it better to not question him. Last time I did, I got demoted from _Hakushaku_ to _Danshaku_."

Hannya grumbled, but nodded in agreement.

"Right then. As that's everything, I suggest that we retire for the night." Oni said with a slow nod. "Chasing our tails so late will merely have us running in circles. For the Circle of DIO."

"For the Circle of DIO." the other two echoed before they stood and left as one.

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**Next Chapter: The True Power of Hierophant Emerald**

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